Garment protector



A118; 1960 G. v. PFILE 2,947,004

GARMENT PROTECTOR Filed May 2, 1958 INVENTOR.

6 9465 1 p/C/ E I 1 garment, and} which will at the sa Uni ed SW8 P r nt" This invention relates generally to protective, coverings for garments, and in particular'has referenceto a coveringfadapted tobe applied about the neck of a wearer in "ice 2. Figure 1 is a perspective view of a'garment protector according to the present invention, as it appears. when in,

Figure 2 is a'sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken substantially on line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the garment protector, the scale being increased slightly above that of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a rear elevational view of the protector on the same scale as Figure 3; and V Figure 5 is. a sectional view substantially on line 5--5 of Figure 3, on the same scale as FigureB, Referring to the drawing in detail, the garment protec-' tor constituting the present invention has been generally. designated 10, and is intended to be worn in the manner. shown in Figures 1 and 2, in protective relation to a garment such as the dress D. Q Considering its general configuration when viewed in plan as in Figure 3, the protector 10 may be appropriately considered as having a generally semi-circular rear portion 11, and a front portion roughly semi-circular. in

configuration, formed medially between its opposite sides liquids' oft'en' contain dyes, '0; chemicalsof various types" and inthe' perforniance of the operations,itf'is often diifi-f cult to' prevent th'e'liquidsfroni runrii igfroni the head along thecustoiners neck. Y "Asa result, it has beenjfound that often, the liquids will impinge upon and soil "the dress of the customer 'often damagin'gthesame beyond repair. The main object ofthe present invention isfto provide a garment; protector designed particularly for obyia'ting the situation:described 'ahove. To this end, theprotector according to the researinvemion is a very inexpensive, cape like article, 1 that 5 is 'swiftly applicable about the wearers neck, and that will both overlie and underlie the garment at the sides and back of the neck, so asto provide positive and completdprotec'tion for the garment against liquids that inayotherwise tend'tqimpingeupon the'same.

Another object is to iincorporat'ejn the protector 'liquid proof members that will respectively 'overhe and underlie the garment at the sides and back. of the wearers neck, withsaid liquid-proof members being 'as'sociated with a liquid-absorbent member that underlies the inner-one of the liquid proof' members, tin direct contact iwith the wearerslskin. Said absorbent'mernber is thus designed and located to be in the direct path of'liquids running down 'theneck, so that'said -liquidsjgwill be blotted up instantly as they impinge upon the'absorbent member. Another object is to so design the absorbent member that itwill be readily removable, and of washable mateprotector hasb'een' previously used by other customers. a

Anotherobject is to provide an article of the character stated which will produce a liquid-proof covering in protect ive relation both to the outer and'in'nei' surfaces-oi the f 'i l t Rw n a 3 liquid-absoih'elnt layer--between the{ inner portio n of the covering and the wearers skin,-in-dir'ect'position toabsorb any liquids that may drip-during the performance of the with a neck opening 12 communicating witha shallowly I-shaped, forwardly openingrecess 13 through the pro-, vision of ;a narrow entranceway or throat 14. This defines oppositely but identically formed wings 15 at opposite sides of neck opening 12, adapted to overlie the shoulders of the wearer and extend downwardly forwardly from the shoulders a short distance, s'aid wings merging at their rear portions into the opposite side-portions of the semi-circular-rear part 11 of the device.

Thus, when the device is worn, the wearers neck extends onto the dress D. a

The protector includes an outer panel formed of a thin, liquid-proof material such as a transparent, flexible plastic sheet. The back panel has been designated at 17, and comprises a single piece of material shaped to provide, in said single piece, the semi-circular rear part 11 and the identical but oppositely formed wings 15 defining between them the neck opening 12.

The outside panel 17, over the full length of the edge of the neck opening 12, is connected integrally, by a,

connecting, neck-encircling portion 18, to an inner panel 16.

The inner panel 16is also of a liquid-proof, flexible,.

sheet material such as a thin, transparent, sheet plastic. The inside panel 16 is smaller in area than the panel 17, having a rear part 19 the backedge of which is bowed rearwardly and is offset inwardly from the back edge of the rear part of the outer panel 17. The side and forwardedges, however, :which are, continuations of the curved back edge of the rear part 19, extend ,into

full registration with the corresponding edges of the outer panel 17.

In underlying relation to the inner panel 16 i-san ab sorption panel 20. This is formed gfa liquid-absorbent,

rather than'a liquid-proof material. jWhen the device-isin use, it is indirect contact with the users skin. 1 Any liquid running downones neck, and tending to enterthe neck opening of thegarment protector, ,will travel to the absorption panel, and will be'immediately absorbed.

The absorption panel is intended for a single use, and

is segmentally shaped, having a forwardly opening recess registering with the rear part of the edge of the neck.

a opening. The absorption panel extends laterally and rearwardly from the neck opening, with its back edge in registration with the back edge of the rear part 19 of the inner panel 16.

The absorption panel is removably connected to the inner panel, through the provision of gripper fasteners 22. These may be spaced about the periphery of the absorption panel in the manner shown to particular advantage in Figure 3. The spacing and number of said gripper fasteners could of course be varied in diiferent commercial embodiments of the invention.

Laws prescribing sanitation rules for beauty shops and similar establishments uniformly provide for the use of a clean, fresh material next to the skin of a customer. In the illustrated embodiment, the removable, absorption panel 20 is not thrown away after its single use, but rather, is adapted to be laundered after use by a single customer. In other words, for each customer, one would attach a clean absorption panel, which could be made of an absorbent fabric such as cotton, the panel being swiftly attached to the underside of the inner panel 16. Then, when the garment protector is removed, the absorption panel is detached, and is placed with other similar soiled articles to be laundered.

In use of the article, the beauty operator merely positions the article about the neck of the wearer, folding under the inner panel together with the absorbent panel connected thereto, so that the inner panel and the absorption panel will extend between the dress D andthe skin of the wearer. The outer panel is disposed exteriorly of the dress, as will be seen from Figures 1 and 2.

The absorption panel thus extends completely about the sides and back of the wearers neck, in direct contact with the skin, so that any liquid trickling down tthe neck will be caused to impinge against the absorption panel and be immediately absorbed. The absorption panel, it will be noted, does not extend fully to the front of the neck opening, but in practice, this has not been found necessary. In various commercial embodiments, however, it is possible that the construction might be varied in this or in other ways.

Such liquid as is absorbed by the absorption panel may permeate the full thickness of said panel, of course. However, it will be prevented from impinging against the material of the dress D by the liquid-proof inner pane1 16, which extends between the absorption panel and the inner surface of the dress. Meanwhile any liquid dropping ,exteriorly of the dress will fall 01'. t the outer panel 17, again to be kept completely out ofcontact with the dress material.

On completion of the beauty operation, the device is swiftly removed, and the absorption panel is detached, to be replaced by a fresh absorption panel for the next patron.

It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessarily confined to the specific use or uses thereof described above since it may be utilized for anypurpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated'and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A protective covering for garments for use particularly in beauty salons, said protector being a cape-like article designed to' extend about the wearers neck inposition both underlying and overlying the wearers garment atthe sides and back of the neck, said protector com prising: an outer panel formed of thin, liquid-proof, transparent, flexible plastic material, said outer panel being shaped from a single piece of said material to provide, in said single piece, a generally semicircular rear part intended to overlie the back portion of the wearers garment and a roughly-semicircular front part formed medially between its opposite sides with a neck opening of approximately oval shape communicating with a shallowly V-shaped, forwardly-opening recess through the provision of a narrow throat, thus to define in said front part a pair of oppositely but identically formed wings located at opposite sides of the neck opening and adapted to overlie the wearers shoulders in positions extending downwardly forwardly from the shoulders, said wings merging at their rear portions into the opposite side portions of said rear part of the outer panel, whereby liquids dropping from the hair and from the vicinity immediately to the sides and back of the head will drop onto said outer panel; an inner panel formed of the same material as the outer panel, said inner panel being smaller in area than the outer panel and having a rear part the back edge of which is moved rearwardly and is offset forwardly from the back edge of the rear part of the outer panel, said inner panel having side and forward edges constituting continuations of the curved back edge of the rear part thereof, the side and forward edges of the inner panel being disposed in full registration with the corresponding edges of the outer panel; a neckencircling connecting portion integral with the outer and inner panels, said connectin Portion extending over the full length of the edge of the neck opening, whereby said outer and inner panels may be disposed in overlying and underlying relation, respectively, 'to the shoulder and back areas of the wearers garment, in positions protectively embracing the neck of said garment; an absorption panel formed of aliquid-absorbent material, said absorption panel being intended for a single use while the outer and inner panels are adapted for repeated usages thereof, the absorption panel being segmentally shaped and having a forwardly-opening recess registering with the rear part of the edge of the neck OPfining, the absorption panel extending laterally rearwardly from the neck opening with its back edge in registration with the back edge of the rear part of the inner panel; and a plurality of gripper fasteners removably connecting the absorption panel to the inner panel, said absorption panel being connected by said gripper fasteners solely to the inner panel, in a position overlying that surface of the inner panel that faces away from the outer panel, thus to dispose the absorption panel between the inner panel and the wearers body wh n t e i ner panel .is in underly g relation t the wearers garment, said g ipper fastener b i g p ed about the p r ph y of the absorp i n panel with two o said fasteners being disposed at opposite ends of the recess of the absorption panel, a third gripper fastener being disposed medially between the first two gripper fasteners along the edge of the recess, fourth and fifth gripper fasteners being disposed at opposite ends of the back edge of the absorption panel, and a sixth fastener being disposed along said back-edge of the absorption panel medially between the fourth and fifth fasteners.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS France Apr. 15, 1929 

